On Friday of Holy Week the streets were filled with people. It was not an ordinary market day crowd. It was religious tradition that brought these people together. It was the festival of the Passover and Jews from far and near had migrated to the holy city of Jerusalem. It was this same religious fervor that created a certain tense atmosphere in the city. Jesus, the Nazarene carpenter, the one whom some called Messiah, had been placed under arrest by the Roman authorities due to pressure from the Jewish Sanhedrin.

Now it was a custom at the Festival season for the Governor to release to the people one prisoner of their choice. There was in the custody of the authorities at that time a man of some notoriety by the name of Jesus Barabbas. We know nothing of him other than what Mark tells us i…